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J. 'W. BRITTINGHAM & L. A. STERLING. BUGGY TOP SUPPORT.

Patented Jan. 19, 1897.

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JOHN w; BRITTINGHAM AND LAWRENCE A. STERLING, OF HALE, MISSOURI,ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF TO J. R. HERYEoRD, or SAME PLACE.

BUGGY-TOP SlJPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,500, dated January19, 1897. Application filed March 4, 1896. Serial No. 581,766. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN XV. BRITTING- HAM and LAWRENCE A. STERLING,citizens of the United States, residing at Hale, in the county ofCarroll and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Buggy-TopSupport, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to improvements in carriage-top supports, and isespecially designed to prevent breakage of the bows when the top is inlowered position. Heretofore in devices of this characterspring-supports have been provided having one of their ends clamped to abow and the other end sliding thereon, but the shape of the springs havebeen such that a suiflcient spring action was not imparted to the bows,and'consequently when required for use the supports have failed toproperly perform their functions.

It is the object of this invention therefore to provide a support of thecharacter mentioned, the spring of which shall be so constructed as toovercome the disadvantages and objections heretofore existing and tosecure, by reason of the shape of the spring, a greaterarea of yieldingsurface, whereby a more perfect cushion for the top is obtained when thelatter is in lowered position and liability of breaking the bows reducedto a minimum.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is perspective View of acarriage-top having the improved support in position upon one of thebows. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the support removed. Fig. 3is atransverse sectional view taken through the collar.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a sectional clamping-collar, thesame being formed of sections 2 3, bolts 4, having the usual nuts 5 upontheir threaded ends. The collar 1 is also provided with an opening 6,through which passes the rear bow 7 of a carriage-top, the opening 6conforming to the shape of the bow 7.

8 designates a spring, a portion 9 of which is folded back and lies in aplane substantially parallel with, but away from, the body of thespring. The extreme end 10 of the portion 9 is secured in a recess 11,formed in secured together by one side of the section 3 of the collar 1by a bolt 12, which passes through a bolt-hole 13 in said section, andadjacent to the opening 6 the end of said bolt-hole 13 is tapered to 5receive the head of the bolt 12, which head is concaved, so as to lieflush with the inner side of said opening 6. It will be noted that the.portion 9 is folded at a sharp angle to the body of the spring,-andsaid folded portion 9, after being secured to the clamping-collar l andthe latter is fastened upon the how 7, extends throughout its entirelength in a straight line beneath the bow 7, the body of the springbeing bent outwardly and forming a deep compound curve. The foldedportion 9 lies along the under side of, but slightly away from, the bow7, and when the vehicle-top is lowered it will be seen that such foldedpor tion braces the body of the spring, whereby a positive cushion isinsured, and from the fact that said body is in the shape of a compoundcurve contact thereof with the bow 7 will be effectually prevented.

At the end of the spring opposite to the folded portion 9 a spring-clip14 is secured, the object of which is to partially encircle the bow 7and slide thereon, thereby holding the support in operative position.The sections of the clamping-collar 1 being separated, they are placedupon the bow 7 and by means of the bolts 4 are secured thereon at anydesired point, the spring-clip also engaging said how. When the top ofthe carriage is lowered, the spring 8 rests upon the ordinary stop 15for limiting the downward movement of said top, and when anyinequalities in the ground are passed over said spring will take up thejar occasioned thereby, thus providing a cushion for the top andpreventing fracture of the bow. It will be obvious that the spring-clip14. will slide along the bow 7, thereby provid ing for the expansion andcontraction of the spring 8.

From the preceding description it is apparcut that by reason of thespecific construction of the spring 8 a much more effective support hasbeen produced, whereby a larger yielding surface is secured and one inwhich the spring will be held a sufficient distance from the bow toavoid direct contact therewith, and thus give satisfactory results.

\Ve claim as our invention A bu ggy-top support comprising a sectionaltwo-part clamping-collar adapted to embrace the rear bow of acarriage-top and provided in one side with a recess and a bolt-openingleading into said recess, a pair of bolts detachably connecting the twomembers of the collar together, an elongated componndlycurvedleaf-spring having a sliding connection at one end with the bow, andformed at its other end with an inturned straight terminal portion 9,folded or bent from the body portion of the spring at an abrupt anglethereto to form a brace for such body portion, said straight terminalportion 9 of the spring extending under the bow parallel therewith andhaving its tip end seated within the recess of the collar, and a bolt 12engaging the tip end of the spring-terminal 9 and secured in thebolt-opening in the collar leading to said recess, substantially as setforth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoafiixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. BRITTINGHAM. LAWRENCE A. STERLING.

\Vitnesses:

G. 11. TURNER, B. G. DULANEY.

